Operation Tomorrow and the Conquest of Oceania
by James Byrne
Summary: Welcome to the world of the Third World War... After decades of political infighting, changes in technology and rising powers, the United States falters and the door has been left open for new powers to emerge on the world stage. in the ensuing war of apocalyptic proportions, Australia and her neighbors stand on the edge of battle. Will their efforts to halt a conquest succeed?


**Operation Tomorrow and the Conquest of Oceania**

**A World War III Fanfiction**

**By James Byrne**

Author's Notes

This is a fanfiction of the World War III Series, which was written by James Rosone and Miranda Watson. Two independent authors currently scoring great hits with their Falling Empires series and on a path to even greater things. Of that, I am sure.

I had seen their novel, "Battlefield Korea: Book Two of the Red Storm Series," in my Kindle suggestions and have been a passionate reader ever since.

These two series had my close friends and I chatting of scenarios in Australia should such a war really happen. And as epic a read the World War III Series is, it was just a bit unfortunate that the Australian front wasn't explored as much as it could've been (but granted, that would've taken up a bit more time and drawn attention away from the main plot.)

Here is my interpretation on what would have happened should the Great Southern Land face the dark, terrifying world that the World War III Series takes place in.

Since the invasion of America was labelled "Operation Red Dawn," it seems only fitting that an Australian invasion should take its name from Tomorrow, When the War Began, the first novel of a best-selling series detailing just that. It was indeed an Aussie version of Red Dawn written in the 90's by famed writer John Marsden. Marsden said a recent Q&A appearance that he wouldn't have written it nowadays, "not because of a societal view but because of my own horror at the way refugees who have come to Australia have been treated."

I, for one, completely understand. Ultimately, though, these stories are works of fiction. Where imagination can run wild. It is indeed unfortunate that some readers, and sometimes even politicians, can take their interpretation of the undertones a little too far.

So, without further ado, I present this story. I hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 1: The Dead of the Night**

**Aboard HMAS Attack**

**Arafura Sea**

**March 20th, 2041**

Captain Alexander Wedgefield returned to the bridge following an uncomfortably short rest break. He, more than most, could see that submariners are a special kind of brotherhood. Either all come to surface, or no one does...

"What's it looking like?" he asked.

"It seems the surviving Indonesian submarines have retreated," reported the Chief of the Watch, "And Chinese submarines are no longer sighted. They must be securing waters up north."

"Hmm…" said Wedgefield, "Are they scared all of a sudden…? No, of course not…"

Wedgefield connected the dots. The _Attack_ had detected a large amount of cargo ships travelling in nearby waters. That was a lot of cargo being transferred to Indonesian ports. It had to be preparation for future attacks. Other submarines were tasked with guarding retreating naval forces and refugees.

Singapore and Malaysia had fallen to the Chinese only just recently. Singapore was the major military ally in South-East Asia and was the key to defence planning following the supposed defeat of Indonesia. The fighting in Singapore lasted for five days, after the two months during which Chinese forces had advanced down the Malayan Peninsula. The campaign, including the final battle, was a decisive enemy victory, resulting in the Chinese capture of Singapore and the largest Australian surrender in history. Thousands of Singaporean and Australian troops in Singapore became prisoners of war, joining 50,000 taken by the Chinese in the earlier Southeast Asian Campaign.

Wedgefield hadn't known how many of his fellow sailors survived that. If what little he knew about the Chinese wardens was true, it would've been better if they were dead. The thought of foreign refugees made him shudder to reflect back on the horrible treatment stories of Australian detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island in the 2010's.

But there was no time to dwell on it now…

His HMAS _Attack_ was an absolute monster of a submarine, carrying the latest high-tech torpedoes, mines, anti-ship missiles and land attack cruise missiles. She displaced 4,500 tons when surfaced, measured 97 metres in length, had an 8.8-metre beam, used pump-jet propulsion with a range of 18,000 nautical miles, a top speed of greater than 20 knots, an endurance of 80 days and a crew of 60.

The Attack-class submarine was based on the Shortfin Barracuda proposal by French shipbuilder Naval Group (formerly known as DCNS) to replace the Collins-class submarines. The class entered service in the early 2030s with construction extending into the late 2040s to 2050. The Program had cost $50 billion and was the largest, and most complex, defence acquisition project in Australian history.

The Program to replace the Collins class began in 2007 with the commencement of the Defence Department acquisition project SEA 1000. With Australia's unique operating environment (including significant variations in ocean climate and conditions) and rejection of nuclear marine propulsion had previously driven it, it would be the world's largest diesel-electric submarines, capable of transiting the long distances from HMAS Stirling to their deployment areas.

The Attack-class' name, while somewhat generic at first, was in honour of a class of patrol boats commissioned in the late 1960s. The _Attack_ carried the same motto of her namesake, "Never Waver."

After the outbreak of World War III, the submarines began conducting hit-and-run attacks alongside the rest of the Royal Australian Navy. The Indonesian and PLA Navies felt the scars left by them, as much as they refused to acknowledge it. The Naval Command felt like a samurai that received a new katana or developed a new fighting style and tested its effectiveness by attacking during night-time.

The underwater battlefield was proving rich with targets. The Attack alone had scored two Chinese and two Indonesian subs. She sunk two Indonesian frigates, four corvettes and at least half a dozen merchant ships. With the other submarines working overtime, the Royal Australian Navy was slicing through the enemy force with stellar efficiency. The crews of the Axis ports were feeling the pain as more and more cargo ships failed to arrive.

"Have we had any word from our Chilean mates?" Wedgefield asked.

"The Solomon Islands battle took a lot out of them, sir…" Jones answered.

It was just unbelievable to Wedgefield that old-school gunnery duels between warships were still a thing, as the PLA Navy started the war with destroyers brought back from mothball. During an ambush off Guadalcanal, one of them sent the Chilean frigate ARC _Almirante_ _Latorrenote_ to the bottom of Ironbottom Sound. It was sunk the next day in Hammondsport Seamount by another Chilean frigate, ARC _O'Higgins_. Both Chilean frigates were once the Adelaide-class frigates HMAS _Melbourne_ and HMAS _Newcastle_ respectively.

Wedgefield let out a deep breath, "Good thing they came to our help, nevertheless… Unless Naval Command says otherwise, no change in game plan."

"Yes, sir," the crew acknowledged.

The submarine continued its silent hunt through the waters…

**Paluma, Queensland, Australia**

**March 31st, 2041**

As the Third World War raged on, its fire and madness consuming countless lands, one land remained untouched. A place in the mountains far away from the storm of death, continuing serenely as it had for countless years.

A place in the tropical state of Queensland...

Paluma was a town and locality in the City of Townsville and the Charters Towers Region in Queensland, Australia. It was a township of around 28 permanent residents in the Mount Spec Ranges and was the southernmost point of Townsville's heritage-listed Wet Tropics.

Paluma developed from a mining and forestry background. The first people to arrive here were tin prospectors in the 1870s after an abundance of tin in the mountains. The area remained isolated until a road was built up the range in the 1930s.

The Mount Spec Road and Little Crystal Creek Bridge were a heritage-listed road with stone-faced arch bridge in the Mount Spec Ranges built in 1933. It was the only arch road bridge that remained in service in Queensland. Crystal clear water flowed down the creek filling the deep pools of Little Crystal Creek, making it an excellent natural swimming hole.

Emily Langham and her group of classmates were spending the weekend of the autumn school holidays up in Lake Paluma, a drinking water storage facility owned by NQ Water and was situated close to Mount Spec, high above the Paluma Range National Park.

The dam was part of a unique water supply system that gravity fed up to 50 megalitres of water per day to the city of Townsville. For most of the year water flowing from the Mount Spec part of the national park was collected and filtered at the Crystal Creek intake and then piped under gravity to Townsville. When Crystal Creek water levels were low, water was released into the creek from Lake Paluma via another gravity pipeline.

Lake Paluma was nestled among World Heritage listed, wet tropics rainforest. The lake was open for a range of nature based recreational activities such as canoeing, sailing and swimming. Lake Paluma was only accessible via a 12-kilometre gravel road just past the township of Paluma. Visitor facilities included picnic shelters and barbecues. The area is home to the platypus, peregrine falcon, eastern water dragon and a range of rainforest fauna.

To Emily, Paluma was the true place to escape. With all the violence and demands of the world, this tropical paradise still indulged in its isolation. The lake water was still and clear, the trees alive with noises of nature and down the tracks were beautiful waterfalls. This place was purifying to her.

She had come here with her classmates: Corrie Redford, her best friend. Jason Chan, her love interest. Kevin Richards, the reckless rogue. Tom Lee, the Korean student with a big heart. Lastly was Robyn Elise, the pure-hearted pacifist.

Around the campfire, the group began to reflect on recent events... Not much of them were pleasant.

"Hey…" Kevin said, "I just thought… This world we're going to graduate into. How are we going to live in it?"

"Not much of a bloody world the oldies left us, is it?" Jason scoffed.

Emily knew they were right...

In the early 2030's, Australia found itself in severe crisis. Once the nuclear war between India and Pakistan reached its horrifying conclusion, a nuclear winter emerged from the fallout that consumed the world. A cold, dark age had befallen everywhere.

Australia was not spared this horrific fate. In rural areas, especially Queensland, families on farmland and properties struggled harder than ever to make a good profit of survival as the Global Depression struck. Entire properties were rendered useless. Politicians in both the State and Federal Government bickered on and on, but help wasn't coming from them. Everybody in the group knew at least someone whose country relatives were part of the massive suicide rate.

Prime Minister Lancaster's new, transformative approach was having the remedying effect, but the question was for how long.

Things began to heat up once neighbouring Indonesia joined the Islamic Republic, the massive superpower that controlled all of the Middle East and North Africa with a terroristic mindset.

Many in the Government of Australia, particularly in Foreign Affairs, refused to accept this turn of events. Nearly all the Arab nations that the country maintained friendly relations and trade with were now under the ruthless control of the very Caliphate they had fought in the past. Emily's parents were thinking of a holiday in Dubai, but that couldn't be done anymore.

Then, things became even worse. The Islamic Republic, now allied with Russia and China, declared war on the West. American forces in Israel almost immediately bore the brunt of a massive attack. The images of the atrocities committed, such as the crucifixion of thousands of US Marines and the destruction of sacred sites, were absolutely appalling to see. Emily remembered the children running from the TV screaming. But even then, she still thought the destruction of the Al-Aqsa mosque was a bit excessive. She reckoned when General Gardner decided all means were permitted to fight the terrorists, his good was not much different from the evil he set out to destroy.

"What's the Yank president gonna do now?" asked Jason.

"Pfft. It's just dumb..." snarked Kevin, "old men declare war, but it's the young boys and girls who fight and die in it!"

Emily, in her honest mind, was not much of a fan of US President Stein. A lot of youth didn't exactly view the White House with positive thought, but she still thought there was a fine line between right and wrong.

Which reminded her of how the IR rising caused a sudden civil unrest in the cities of Australia. Terror attacks were becoming more frequent. In turn, an assortment of far-right groups, many of which were criminal in nature, launched a campaign targeting Muslims and immigrants as they had for decades. The media was not on holding back either. Various shock jocks at NewsCorp had lost their patience, calling for monitoring and some even internment. Politicians such as the One Nation Party were just as vocal. Just when people thought they had finally left the bad times of disharmony behind, it seemed otherwise.

In response to the declaration of war, Australia began mustering its defences. The Australian Government and many Australians feared the Islamic Republic, China, or even both would invade the Australian mainland. Australia had become prepared to counter such an attack as the RAAF possessed modern aircraft. At the same time, though, the RAN was too small and unbalanced to counter Axis Navies. Additionally, the Army, although small in comparison, contained many experienced units, but lacked somewhat in mobility.

In response to this threat most of the ADF was brought back from the Middle East and the Government appealed to the United States for assistance.

Australia was hoping America would dedicate a large amount of firepower in this war. But the faith was dashed as New York was destroyed in a nuclear attack…

"That was awful…" Corrie whimpered, "I had an uncle staying there, and I haven't heard from him since…"

The teens saw it on the news and were absolutely shocked at such a sight. New York – a city they heard countless stories about, had vanished in a blinding nuclear blast. The bomb was delivered from the Islamic Republic with extreme malice. The ensuing sight of the aftermath was horrifying, as well as the Baltimore attack that followed, but there was little time to dwell on it…

At the same time, the Islamic Republic in Indonesia, with the help of China, had launched the Second Bombing of Darwin. It was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia since the first around 100 years ago. On that day, 62 IR aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the town, ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airports in an attempt to prevent the Australians from using them as bases to contest the invasion of Southeast Asia during World War III.

Darwin was lightly defended relative to the size of the attack, and the IR inflicted heavy losses upon Australian forces at moderate cost to themselves. The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids and there were a number of civilian casualties. More than half of Darwin's civilian population left the area permanently, before or immediately after the attack.

The two IR air raids were the first, and largest, of more than 10 air raids against Australia.

"I reckon by the time we graduate," Tom said, "They'll be right on our bloody doorstep!"

"And then what?" Robyn asked unsettled, "Where do we run too?"

"Run?" Tom scoffed, "Who's running? I will stay and fight!"

"And kill?" Robyn questioned, "I'm a child of God. I can't take a life like that."

"Chill, Tom," Corrie said.

"Perhaps it is inevitable…" Emily finally said, "But that just means our time here will be even more precious…"

All the teens looked to Emily, who felt a sudden small excitement at being a leader...

"Let's just take the weekend to escape from all that scary stuff. Nothing will bother us here. Not them, not the US and certainly not the guys in charge here."

The group all cheered in agreement; their spirits risen again.

As soon as the fire was put out, the group went to sleep. The night was very peaceful and serene.

Emily woke up suddenly, slightly unsettled. She had to use the restroom, so she reluctantly stood up and walked through the dark. But instead of wandering back the camp, she decided to take a stroll to the lake. The light of the full moon reflected on the still waters. The stillness and silence of the night was eerily heavy, yet Emily was at peace…

All that talk of atrocity and destruction did indeed show how messed up the world really was. But now, all that was far away now.

However, she heard a faint sound in the distant. The sound was… artificial. Not part of the melodies of nature. Then, it emerged as the sound of aircraft. Emily looked up see a pair of aircraft race south. They had no lights on and were not flying a path any normal plane would take.

It couldn't be…

**Townsville, Queensland**

**That same time**

Two Chinese Rainbow stealth drones, designated W45 and W46, had left West Papua at 4.18 pm and arrived in the Townsville area from the north east at about 11:30pm and circled the city watching the bright lights on the wharves and in the city area. It took over fifteen minutes before the military presence in Townsville realised there may be problems. The lights went off and four searchlights threaded the sky looking for the two aircraft. They eventually spotted the aircraft but lost them when they headed out to sea.

The two drones returned at 12.40am and dropped all of their bombs near the Townsville wharves where three vessels were berthed. They were the AE _Herberton_, HMAS _Bundaberg_ and the HMAS _Hunter_, lead ship of her class of frigate,

"A stealth air raid!?" shouted Captain Franklin of the Hunter, "Get us ready to head to Maggie Island!"

Six bombs were seen falling into the sea about 200 metres from the main jetties. The two Rainbows arrived back in West Papua at 7.12 am the next day. The military in Townsville signalled the RAAF Squadron based at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea in an attempt to attack the Rainbows on their return to West Papua. Unfortunately, their takeoff was delayed by an hour and their planned attack never happened.

HMAS _Hunter_ and AE _Herberton_ had a minor collision at about 2:10 am as they exited the harbour in haste.

"Woah! Stop! All engines, stop!" shouted Captain Franklin in shock as he heard the sound of groaning metal, "Damage report!"

"No hull breach, sir," said one of the crew, "but the Herberton's hull been dented."

"_Herberton_ to _Hunter_," called an angry voice over navy comms, "What the hell's going on back there!?"

Captain Franklin began to speak, "_Herberton_—"

"Forget it! Shoot down those planes!"

A small group of prison warders from Stuart Prison were playing a game of cards at home at the time of the raid. They heard some loud bumps in the distance and felt the ground shake slightly. At the time they had no idea that Townsville had been attacked by the Chinese. They heard about it in the news the next morning. Slit trenches were hurriedly dug in back yards for use during any further alerts. Off-duty warders were instructed to report for duty at the prison should they hear an air raid alert.

Irving Hamlin, a US Marine of the local air defences, saw it happen… A Chinese recon drone came over no higher than 10-11,000 feet. The radar people picked it up, and eventually had it right over Garbutt Airfield, but the Commanding Officer, Colonel Meyer, forbade the batteries not to fire for fear of giving away our positions,

He saw the drone, trapped like a butterfly in the lights, which suddenly went out.

The following morning saw the Commanding Officer immediately relieved of his duties and shipped home the next day, but the event was not forgotten by his Aussie cobbers who were going around with them at Exchange Hotel. His fellow Marines would do the buying, because the Aussie pay per day did not last too long-not the way they slurped it down.

Air Raid Wardens from South Townsville reported that one of the bombs in this first Chinese bombing raid on Townsville had not exploded. The 2nd and 3rd sections of a Bomb Disposal Company under Lieutenant Colin Ian Gladstone Huxley, with Sargeant Frederick Van Doorn, Sargeant Mens and Corporal Smith, were sent to investigate the report. The six bombs were dropped on the eastern side of the harbour about 200 metres from the main jetties.

The following night, a single drone returned. They arrived over Townsville at 2.25 am, however this time, the RAAF Radar Station gave a warning of its arrival. Six RAAF JF-35 fighters from took off from Townsville airfield and were in the air by the time the drone was 80 kilometres from Townsville.

Eight bombs were dropped from 15,000 feet in an area about 1.5 kilometres from the airport near the foothills of Many Peaks Range.

The JF-35s were not initially able to attack the Chinese drone as three American surface-to-air missile batteries (code named Dog, X-Ray and Yorka) fired away. The drone managed to slip away again, much to the frustration of the military and horror of the civilians.

**Chapter 2: The Rising Force**

**Australian Parliament House, Canberra**

**The following day…**

"Sir…" Foreign Minister Jon Martini called, "Everyone is ready…"

Prime Minister Lancaster walked into the conference room where holograms and monitors of the other Oceanic leaders were sitting. As he sat down, he saw the prime ministers of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Chile and even the smaller nations of the Solomon Islands, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Lancaster said, "Glad you could make it on such short notice. This invasion of our soil was unprecedented and unacceptable. A combined coalition of Chinese and Indonesian forces had launched an all-out invasion of Australia. In the first few days, they have captured the main ports of Darwin, Port Hedland and Townsville. We are desperate for help, but America is dealing with an invasion on its own soil in Alaska. Communication is lost with Japan. Therefore, we are all that's left in Oceania."

Everyone was stunned… It was not simply Australia under attack, Chinese agents had gone on sabotage strikes in the Solomons, Vanuatu the PNG, where Chinese corporations had invested heavily in. If a solution wasn't found quickly, poverty would hit the nations like a tidal wave.

"So, I propose we consolidate our forces to fight back. Once we repel the invasion, we can expand to the rest of the Pacific."

"You surely don't have to ask us twice," said New Zealand Prime Minister Kathy Windgrass, "My defence force is already mobilizing. We're preparing for combat of our own. We still have our lend-leased fighter drones from America alongside all our Navy and Army forces. The NZDF is currently arranging an amphibious assault now!"

"My government is still torn by the fact that we would be next…" began the deep voice of PNG Prime Minister Robert Toktru, "but the PNGDF is also ready to launch. It has taken many years, but our conscript force is ready, our planes are improved, and the navy is in better shape. By God's will, we will help you win!"

The rest of the leaders went over their forces, but not many of them were what Australia needed. Aside from a small addition of soldiers, the island nations only had a small fleet of patrol boats and practically no aircraft. Nevertheless, they would band together to form the Pacific Island Alliance to combine their many small forces in one medium-sized force. Aside from that, only Tonga had a sufficient army to dedicate troops to Australia.

"So…" Fijian Prime Minister Nokama finally said, "If China begins a conquest of the smaller islands, we will be in serious trouble!"

"I know…" Lancaster said, "However matters may go in Southeast Asia, we will never lose our sense of comradeship with our allied people there. If we are now called upon to endure what they have been suffering, we shall emulate their courage, and if final victory rewards our toils, they shall share the gains, yes. And freedom shall be restored to all. We abate nothing of our just demands— From the large lands of Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, to the small islands of Melanesia and Micronesia. All of you who have joined your causes to our own shall be restored."

"Upon the coming battle depends the survival of Oceanic civilisation. Upon it depends our own Pacific life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our islands. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. That fiendish Chinese President knows that he will have to break us in this land or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all the Pacific may be freed, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, tropical uplands."

"But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if we last for a thousand years, men will still say that this was their strive for tomorrow!"

The whole conference erupted with applause. Lancaster stood proudly, ready to lead the campaign to save Oceania from certain disaster.

**Paluma, Queensland**

**The next week…**

Emily Langham and Jason Chan sat next to each other looking over the Paluma Dam spillway. The downhill creek flowed down a gorge of rock and deadwood on its path through the Paluma Range toward the Burdekin River…

When they returned to Townsville last week, they find that all the people were missing, and their pets and livestock were dead or dying. Fearing the worst, they broke into three groups to investigate Townsville's situation. They discovered that Townsville was captured as a beachhead for an invasion of Australia by an unidentified force; local citizens are being held captive by the occupiers.

Thinking quickly, Kevin and Tom managed to seize a weapons cache and thrusted it into their Subaru. They managed to grab several Chinese-designed carbines, sidearms and ammunition for it.

The entire State of Queensland had more-or-less gone to hell. Many of its cities had collapsed upon themselves like a house of cards. In Queensland, the economic struggles served to promote great social unrest verging on but never quite spilling over into civil war. A rejuvenated Indonesia and China had quickly seized the day. Within the time of annexation and gunboat diplomacy, all of Asia except Japan were answering to the Pan-Asian Alliance.

Looking to secure further resources in support of their domestic industries, China had determined Emily's once peaceful home to be the best option. This was followed up by an invasion and occupation of the Top End and the securing of strategic sites further inland for resource extraction. The politicians in Canberra finally stopped bickering as they realized that the situation is truly beyond their control. Everyone Emily knew had found themselves living under Chinese overlords, in crazed survivalist enclaves or in total anarchy - and it was not quite clear which of those options was worse…

"Jason…" Emily said, "Is this really happening?"

"I wish it wasn't…" Jason sighed.

"Will things ever be the same again?"

"I'd rather not go back to the Depression again. This world just totally sucks right now…"

Emily nodded. Many beautiful cities in the Middle East that she read about in school were vaporised by nuclear explosions or exterminated by neutron bombs. The thought of the neutron bombs made her sick in the stomach. Many innocent civilians suffering agonizing and horrendous deaths. While the loss of New York and Baltimore was appalling, but she still thought Stein's response was disproportionate. The old law about an eye for an eye had left everybody blind.

"Jason…" Emily spoke up again, "Have you given any thought to us as a couple?"

Jason's eyes widened temporarily, "I guess so… We have to stick together." He placed his hand on hers, "I'll follow you anywhere…"

Then, the two could hear the snapping of wood from down the spillway…

"What was that?" Emily asked aloud.

"Sounded like footsteps…"

Jason unsheathed his rifle, ready to greet the incoming intruder with appropriate force. Then they heard…

"Cooooeee!"

Emily was on edge, only an Aussie knew the way of calling "Cooee."

The person emerged from the wood. He seemed to be an Australian man. He was middle-aged, but physically fit.

"Identify yourself!" Jason called out.

"I'm one of you guys!" the Stranger called out, "I'm here to help…"

The two caught a closer look of the man. He was wearing a fishing shirt with trousers and a huge backpack. A canteen was slung across his shoulder and in his hands was a Chinese-designed bullpup rifle. The Stranger raised his hands in surrender.

After a long, tense pause, Emily finally said "Let's talk…"

At the Camp Site, the Stranger finally began his story…

"What's Townsville like?" Corrie asked.

"Aw, crikey," groaned the Stranger, "It's a bloody mess! I could see able-bodied men were being forcibly conscripted and then put on a bus. My mates and I were forced to sneak past the invaders cracking down on the local state school. Children were separated from their family at gunpoint and parents were gunned down in front of their children while people were packed off for transport to labour camps."

"Seeing the parents gunned down in front of their children was especially horrifying. A mother begged her child not to watch. Then the Chinese fired. The child hesitated just long enough to make it clear that they are just processing what is happening before letting out a heartbreaking scream! The Chinese soldiers then just walk away like nothing happened. More than anything else, it was the utter callousness of the action that was the most horrifying part."

"The frightening thing about it to me was that this all was indeed the way the Chinese and their powerful leader forced and brainwashed their people into believing. If word got out of this, it would be seen as positive propaganda and what PLA soldiers would love to do, or at least be taught to love to do, if given half a chance. I had no choice but to leave the child to scream and cry over his parents' corpses…"

"All the more reason for us to start blowing those soldiers' heads off when we get the chance!" snarled Jason. Emily turned to him, worried about his words…

"What happened to you?" asked Emily, trying to move the conversation on.

"My mates joined my partner and me. We got in our Toyota and raced through to Charters Towers. My girl and I took shelter in my Uncle's old property, God rest his soul. From there, we linked up with some soldiers who managed to escape Lavarack Barracks before it was captured. It was there in Charters Towers airport where we joined the newly resurrected Aussie Militia!"

Everyone was surprised. This was clearly a call back to the last World War, where the Australian Army was split into the small full-time Permanent Military Forces (PMF) and the larger part-time Militia. Following the outbreak of war, on 14 September 1939, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that 40,000 members of the Militia would be called up for training and a 20,000-strong expeditionary force, designated the Second Australian Imperial Force (Second AIF), would be formed for overseas service.

"They sent me to link up with you guys," the Stranger continued, "Then, the Axis Forces reached the Burdekin River. Taking the mission, I ran along the Burdekin, then I found the river leading up to here. After many long and torturous hours, I made it across the creeks, through the rainforests and between the mountains to get here. True Aussie work!"

"Wait…" Emily said, "They sent you to us? Why?"

"Well, one of our insiders saw you blokes doing the hit on that station. Plus, an American recon satellite flew over and saw you guys in action. I see you got guns and are willing to fight back. So, some good old sabotage will be a rockin' great start!"

"How come you got one of their guns?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, this?" the Stranger patted his Bullpup, "I stole it from a PLA soldier during my escape. One of those new Type-38s. Bloody good ripper. Caught some attention during the Battle of Amann not too long ago."

"That's epic!" Tom said admiringly.

The Stranger looked at him. "You got heart, kids…" he said, "What class are you from?"

"Uh… Year 12," Tom said, "So… Class of '41."

"Huh…" the Stranger said with a smile, "I'm from the one of '14. It was a crazy time. Russia started acting all crazy, and the whole world declared war on ISIS. It only got worse from there… Ah, it's crazy how the Syrian Civil War ended the way it did…"

Unable to hide the nerves of the Army's plan, Emily finally said it – "So… What's this plan?"

The Stranger sat up straight. "We're going to take back Townsville!" he announced, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sabotage the enemy enough to cause a distraction. We're launching D-Day – You remember, a hundred years ago? Well, we're doing that now! Aussie and Kiwi troops will land between here and Mackay, while Papua New Guinea's leading the charge to storm the cape. In my backpack is a ton of plastic explosive – World War III military-issue! We're going to light 'em up with it. Anything we're able to blow up spares a dozen soldiers blowing up!"

Everyone was taken aback.

"What about the Yanks?" asked Kevin.

"Forget 'em," sighed the Stranger, "They're not coming. It's all us here. In a war like this, they'll be preparing Alaska for war while Japan decides to be a Trojan Horse for the Chinese commies."

"How do you know that!?" asked Corrie.

"I read it a book once…"

**Chapter 3: The Queensland Counteroffensive**

**RAAF Amberley, Ipswich**

In spite of the dread of impending invasion, Squadron Leader Joseph "Pelican" Parker was feeling excited.

America had continued to build up a defensive force in Australia. With sixty thousand newly trained soldiers adding to the 48,000 troops already stationed there. They would comprise the bulk of US forces in Australia. However, all of them were occupied with taking back the other invasion points of Darwin and Port Hedland. This liberation campaign was all led by the Aussies and Kiwis. It was their time to shine.

Following that awful day in Darwin and facing shortage of supplies, Australia's military were quick to develop its own series of technology to fight the war.

In the Battles of East Timor and Java Island, the Royal Australian Air Force saw the introduction of a native-built fighter, the TF-36 Wirraway II. a training and general-purpose fighter served in a makeshift light bomber/ground attack capacity, striking against the advancing forces of the Islamic Republic. Typically, fighter versions of the Wirraway were operated in Papua New Guinea to perform ground attack missions and other Army co-operation tasks over extended periods until more advanced aircraft had become available in sufficient quantities. One day, the Wirraway II achieved its only shoot-down of an enemy aircraft – an IR Sukhoi Su-43.

Parker couldn't believe it. That pilot, Jack Archer, was a mate of his.

His squadron was the first to fly the new F/A-39 Boomerang II. This new fighter jet was approved for production shortly following the Chinese entry into the Third World War. The Boomerang II was rapidly designed as to meet the urgent demands for fighter aircraft to equip the Royal Australian Air Force.

During early wartime operations, the Boomerang II was mainly dispatched to equip home-based squadrons, freeing up other fighters for use overseas. In later service, the Boomerang II was expected to commonly be used for ground support duties, cooperating with Allied army units, in addition to secondary roles such as aerial reconnaissance and air sea rescue.

Squadron Leader Joseph Parker completed final system checks. His Boomerang II was ready for battle.

"Hell of a day for an invasion, don't ya think?" commented his wingman, Flight Lieutenant Ken "Falcon" Foley. Born in Hong Kong, Foley was always a close mate of Parker.

"I think it's time we did this," answered Parker.

"I'd hate to say, but I'm glad we're up here and not down there. It's gonna be hell on those beaches!"

"Then maybe we can make things a little less hellish," said Flying Officer John "Olds" Hunter, the heart of the team.

"You know Indonesia's bringing out its big guns," spoke up Flying Officer Alice "Starship" Henderson, "We're talking IF-1s…"

Parker sighed at the thought of the IA IF-1, developed from the KAI KF-X, a joint South Korean and Indonesian fighter aircraft development program, with the goal of developing an advanced multirole fighter for the Republic of Korea Air Force and Indonesian Air Force. The program was spearheaded by South Korea, which held 80% of shares, and was joined by Indonesia in 2010 for the remaining 20% of the shares. The IF-1 packed effective electronic warfare, IRST, and datalink capabilities.

He knew friends who took part in the brief, but violent Second Korean War. Now one of the Korean creations had come back to bite them…

"Listen up, pilots," Parker said in a motivating tone, "We will be the tip of spear on this op. From here to very edge of space to the traditional dogfight taking place in Earth's atmosphere, the nature of air combat has changed. We're seeing a great leap in wartime aviation, with America developing the F-41 Archangel and Russia developing the MiG-40. No doubt we'll develop one in good time too. Make sure you survive to fly it! But in battles waged higher and faster… in ever-more complex machines… the courage and savvy of the fighter pilot is one thing that will never become obsolete! Let's go!"

The time had come. The aerial pride of the Great Southern Land, the Boomerangs, had been waiting on the tarmac. Now, with the green light from the tower to takeoff, the squadron joined many others in lighting the fire and racing into the heavens. Like a war cry for the battle awaiting them, their wings gleamed in the sunlight. Like a requiem for the lost souls, their engines roared as they fly off in the sky.

**Operation Rainbow Serpent**

**Coral Sea**

**April 7th, 2041**

With the new recon satellite providing intelligence on China's troop movements, and the threat of enemy air superiority over the Coral Sea eliminated, the Allied Forces were finally ready to begin landing operations on the mainland and reclaim lost territory. To ensure the mission's success, a landing site was strategically selected outside the enemy's effective attack range: Burdekin, Bowen, and Cape Cleveland beaches. Indonesia, which had anticipated an amphibious landing somewhere along the eastern coastline, had erected a defensive line of tank battalions, pillboxes and heavy artillery batteries just inland of the planned landing areas. The Allies had no other choice but to land at those locations and break through the Indonesian resistance.

The Wedgetail Squadron had joined the strike package over the Coral Sea. The aerial armada before them was absolutely tremendous in size. Transports from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Island Alliance were flying in large numbers. The new drone training programs were working wonders as entire squadrons of F/A-38s flown by pilots of all Oceania were present, as was a large amount of Loyal Wingman Airpower Teaming System (ATS) drones.

Wedgetail's duty was to fly escort for the six RAAF B-5 strategic bomber drones. Parker could see their menacingly dark profiles as they soared high in the air. Not long ago, the 307th Bomber Squadron of the USAF used the B-5s in a massive bombing raid over Kramim and the Jordan Valley. Another few delivered the terrifying neutron bombs over the major cities of the Islamic Republic. The Royal Air Force also used theirs to great effect.

"Fighter squadrons, AWACS Magpie," said the operator of the E-5 AWACS plane in command of the operation, "Fly two-niner-five. Estimated time of contact correction: zero-six-two-zero, minus zero-five. Repeat, zero-six-two-zero, minus zero-five. Fighter squadrons Wedgetail, Hunter, Savage, maintain course."

A majority of the fighter squadrons began their mid-air refuelling, loading their tanks up for the fight ahead.

Parker brought his Boomerang II toward the waiting fuel drogue of an RAAF KC-777 in a typical probe and drogue method.

"Check your plane and prepare for refuelling," said its boom operator.

At the end of the probe was a valve that was closed until it mated with the drogue's forward internal receptacle, after which it opens and allows fuel to pass from tanker to receiver.

Once the Boomerang's fuel tanks were loaded, the drogue disconnected, and Parker pulled back to return to his formation.

"Tankers, climb and evacuate," ordered the AWACS. The fleet of tankers began to peel away southward. The strike force was ready to advance. It pressed on toward the Mainland.

"HQ. This is Captain Pearce of Landing Force Alpha," said a transmission from the amphibious assault force, "We do not have air superiority over the beach. This isn't as promised!"

"This is, uh, HQ," responded New Zealand General Finley, slightly muffled by static, "Friendly fighters are inbound to secure air superiority."

"Copy. But I better see them once we land. Over."

Finally, radar contacts emerged coming from northwest, north and northeast. The Axis air forces were scrambling and directing their interceptors toward the strike package. A whole fleet was bearing down on the strike package.

"Warning. Enemy on radar," reported AWACS Magpie, "Altitude, twelve angels. Fighters, contact. Engage at will. All weapons free. Let's dance!"

The fighter squadrons flew towards their targets… The ANZACs had officially re-joined the battle…

The success of Operation Rainbow Serpent centred upon the coordinated efforts of Allied army, navy and air forces. A fleet of Australian, New Zealand and Chilean Navy vessels positioned themselves several miles out to sea and bombarded the coastal positions. Carrier-launched fighters provided close air support for the amphibious landing forces; the aircraft carriers would also support the Royal Australian Air Force fighters' refuelling and rearming operations during the duration of the engagement.

Burdekin, the most heavily defended beach, was assigned to Landing Force Alpha. They faced an entire infantry division rather than the expected single regiment. Offshore fire forced many landing craft east of their intended position or caused them to be delayed.

For fear of hitting the landing craft, the Australian bomber aircraft delayed releasing their loads and, as a result, most of the beach obstacles at Burdekin remained undamaged when the men came ashore. Many of the landing craft ran aground on sandbars and the men had to wade 50–100m in water up to their necks while under fire to get to the beach. In spite of the rough seas, the M1A5 Abrams tanks of two companies were disembarked 4,600 metres from shore; however, 12 of the 32 flooded and sank. Some tanks, disabled on the beach, continued to provide covering fire until their ammunition ran out or they were swamped by the rising tide.

Casualties were around 2,000, as the men were subjected to fire from the cliffs above. Problems clearing the beach of obstructions led to the beachmaster calling a halt to further landings of vehicles at 08:30. A group of Australian destroyers arrived around this time to provide fire support so landings could resume. Exit from the beach was possible only via five heavily defended lanes, and by late morning barely 600 men had reached the higher ground. By noon, as the artillery fire took its toll and the enemy started to run out of ammunition, the ANZACs were able to clear some lanes on the beaches. They also started clearing the gullies of enemy defences so that vehicles could move off the beach. The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the D-Day objectives for Burdekin were accomplished by D+3.

The landing at Cape Cleveland was delayed because of choppy seas, and the men arrived ahead of their supporting armour, suffering many casualties while disembarking. Most of the offshore bombardment had missed the Indonesian defences. Several exits from the beach were created, but not without difficulty. On the western flank, a large crater was filled using an abandoned AVRE tank and several rolls of fascine, which were then covered by a temporary bridge. The tank would remain in place for years. The beach and nearby streets were clogged with traffic for most of the day, making it difficult to move inland.

Major Indonesian and Chinese strongpoints with machine-gun nests, concrete fortifications, barbed wire, and mines were located. The towns themselves also had to be cleared in house-to-house fighting. Soldiers on their way to Giru discovered that the road was well covered by machine gun emplacements that had to be outflanked before the advance could proceed. Elements of the 9th New Zealand Infantry Brigade advanced to within sight of the Townsville outskirts late in the afternoon, but by this time their supporting armour was low on ammunition, so the New Zealand dug in for the night. By nightfall, the contiguous beachheads were established. Casualties at Cape Cleveland were 970 men.

On Bowen, 21 of M1126 IFVs of the first wave were successful in getting safely ashore to provide cover for the infantry, who began disembarking at 07:30. The beach was heavily mined and peppered with obstacles, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. In the windy conditions, the tide came in more quickly than expected, so manoeuvring the armour was difficult. The beach quickly became congested. Brigadier Rafael El Sordo and his 21st Marine Battalion arrived in the second wave. Members of the battalion moved through King's Beach to attack from the rear an Indonesian gun battery on the shore. A concrete observation and control tower at this emplacement had to be bypassed and was not captured until several days later. Tongan forces under Commander Philip Onepu, the first Tongan soldiers to arrive in Australia, attacked and cleared the heavily fortified strongpoint at the casino at Riva Bella, with the aid of one of the IFVs.

The strongpoint in Abbott Point was captured after about an hour of fighting. The nearby Gunthalungra strongpoint, headquarters of the Bruneian Expeditionary Infantry Regiment, was a large complex defensive work that had come through the morning's bombardment essentially undamaged. It was not captured until midnight. The Chilean Marines began advancing to Home Hill on foot, coming within a few kilometres of the town, but had to withdraw due to lack of armour support. At 16:00, Indonesian Leopard 3C tanks mounted a counterattack between Bowen and Ayr and nearly succeeded in reaching the coast. They met stiff resistance from the New Zealand divisions and was soon recalled to assist with defence. Estimates of Allied casualties in Bowen are as high as 1,000.

The ANZAC Armies incurred considerable casualties as it stormed the beaches; however, the Allied fighters' precision air strikes prevented these casualties from being much higher. RAAF fighters also contended with Indonesian fighters and helicopters over the beaches. As the operation progressed, Indonesia's losses outweighed the ANZACs, and resistance from the landing sites steadily decreased.

As ANZAC forces began to drive the Indonesians away from the coastline, AWACS Magpie detected a flight of six Chinese J-20 Mighty Eagle fighters inbound to Bowen. The fighters were attempting to perform high-speed air strikes on the ISAF ground forces, breaking the ANZAC line in two. The RAAF and RNZAF fighters immediately converged on the central beach and shot down all of the attacking J-20s, along with several of their escort fighters.

With the loss of the beaches, Axis forces fell back to Townsville leaving ISAF to establish a beachhead.

The ANZAC victory at the landing sites marked another turning point in the Oceania Campaign: three weeks after the attacks on Australia, the Allies had finally re-established a foothold in occupied territory. The ANZACs could now expand their counteroffensive operations to regain the land that had been lost during the enemy blitz offensive. Without the advantage afforded by China backing its forces, Indonesia was forced to retreat to its defensive line outside Townsville.

**Operation Papuan Eagle**

**Approaching Cairns, Queensland**

Captain Jonathan Vakama of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force sat impatiently in the cargo bay of a helicopter as it continued on its long mission toward Australia. He was still looking at a treasured photo of his home in Oro Bay.

"This helicopter is still holding together…" said Lt. Gideon Pok next to him, "Bloody well done, them engineers."

For this war, Papua New Guinea was leased Australia's aging fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, as it had a fleet of UH-1s decades ago. Introduced over thirty years ago, the Taipan was still a robust and sturdy ride, now donning the emblem of a yellow Bird-of-Paradise. The PNGDF hired contract pilots from Hevilift and Air Niugini to fly their aircraft. Vakama's Taipan was flown by his love interest, Alicia, an Air Niugini pilot who flew the trips to Tokyo and Dubai.

The PNGDF originated from the Australian Army land forces of the territory of Papua New Guinea before independence, coming into being in January 1973 and having its antecedents in the Pacific Islands Regiment. The PNGDF was always a small force, but by 2030, they had 10,000 personnel and on the outbreak of World War III, Port Moresby introduced conscription. This brought a new force of 90,000 able-bodied men and women to defend the border from Indonesia's wrath.

"You hear?" Lt. Jacob Toropo said, "The Americans made a… super helicopter. The Razor-beak."

"Razorback," Vakama corrected.

"Right. They made it with new armour. Imagine a ride in that!"

"I even heard rumours they made a new super-jet. Uh… Ark… Angel… or something like that. It goes really fast!"

Vakama chuckled, "All these new gadgets, yet here we are flying a rust-bucket like this!"

"We don't need them," laughed Pok, "We never did."

The Taipans had all taken off from Port Moresby's Jackson International Airport, which been upgraded by the RAAF and USAF into a full-on airbase. The things Vakama saw over the weeks were unbelievable – JF-35s, F/A-38s and even more were rolling in…

"Listen up, men," Vakama announced, "The landing point features a narrow road going inland. It is well-suited for defending against invaders, and we can expect heavy enemy resistance. The Aussie squadrons will wipe up hostiles on the beach and keep ground casualties to a minimum. If we succeed, this could be the tipping point that'll end the entire Australian War. We're going to strike them right in the throat!"

"Yesa, sir!" the soldiers all shouted.

Vakama was leading the Long-Range Reconnaissance Unit (LRRU), a small infantry unit responsible for providing small reconnaissance teams for patrols in tropical rainforests, wetlands and in the highlands and had developed a counter terrorist capability for the APEC Summit in 2018. In 1996, the Special Forces Unit (SFU) was formed which was later renamed the LRRU. The LRRU had trained with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) in PNG in its reconnaissance role for many years. The Warrior Wing established in the 1990s by U.S. Special Forces consists of experienced LRRU soldiers who provide reconnaissance training and coordinate exercises with foreign units.

The helicopters began approaching the landing zone. Immediately, they were taking fire from flak and anti-air fire.

"This is Romeo 2-3, we're one minute out." Alicia reported.

Suddenly, the neighbouring chopper was hit and spun out of control.

"This is 3-2, we're hit, we're hit!" shouted its pilot, "Stay with it!"

A flight of smaller Bell 429 helicopters flew in. Vakama saw one of them was hit on the engine and crashed into the sea. As they neared the beach, he pulled out his venerable Steyr AUG with its ACOG sight. The Taipans and 429s landed at the beach and dropped their troops while the landing craft landed on shore and dropped off more troops along with Australian Boxer IFVs to support the troops. Once the Boxers were deployed, the landing craft gunned the engines reverse and withdrew back to the sea.

Vakama saw his Taipan leave to safety and quietly uttered "God blesim yu, Alicia."

It had begun. Papua New Guinea was in the fight, entering a rat race of pain and ready to search for more. For decades, they were a small nation without much of a voice. But now they had something to say. He and his men will now fight through time before their one true destiny. United, ignited, still strong and undivided. This day foretold was now here for all to see.

"Landing force, this is Curlew One," Called in Squadron Leader Jack Archer, "Targets acquired. Commencing attack run. TOT, 5 seconds. Weapons away!"

Vakama watched as a flight of TA-36 Wirraway IIs streaked across the sky, launching their air-to-surface missiles into various points of the city. Another flight fired a salvo at the enemy emplacements in front of the landing force, before switching to their cannons and riddling any stragglers with bullets. The Wirraways then peeled off into the overcast sky.

Vakama knew that, at the same time, every transport plane of the PNGDF's Air Element, escorted by Aussie F/A-38 drones, was making its way to the small town of Weipa. Over the last few decades, ever since 2013, the PNGDF was determined to lift itself out of the underfunded quagmire that plagued it. A transport wing, a surveillance wing, a fleet of helicopters. All were slowly, but surely crafted for the Land of the Unexpected.

His force's target, Cairns International Airport, was assigned to two hundred men of his LRRU and accompanying battalions, commanded by him. Their task was to scale the cliffs with grappling hooks, ropes, and ladders to destroy the coastal gun battery located at the top. The cliffs were defended by the Indonesians and Australian collaborators firing from above. Two Chilean frigates provided fire support. After scaling the cliffs, the LRRU discovered that the guns had already been withdrawn. They located the weapons, unguarded but ready to use, in a pillbox some 550 metres (600 yd) south of the airport.

"Look at these!" shouted Pok, "Assault rifles… Carbines… SMGs… Whoa! RPGs!"

Suddenly, a Wirraway shrieked past at low altitude, flying in hot pursuit of a Su-37.

Vakama took a long look, then said "See anything you like, men? Take some if you're low on ammo."

The now-isolated LRRU fended off numerous counterattacks from the PLA. The men at the point became isolated and some were captured.

High above, Jack Archer's Wirraway squadron fought hard. Striking targets at will and holding their own against the fighters. His squadron soon had to return to Port Moresby to rearm and refuel. They would be conducting sorties day and night in a marathon effort.

By dawn on D+1, Vakama had only 90 men able to fight. Relief did not arrive until the day after, when members of the Island Alliance and others arrived. By then, Vakama's men had run out of ammunition and were using captured Chinese weapons. Several men were killed as a result, because the Chinese weapons made a distinctive noise, and the men were mistaken for the enemy. By the end of the battle, the Papua New Guinea casualties were 135 dead and wounded, while Axis casualties were 500 killed and 40 captured. An unknown number of Australian collaborators were executed without remorse.

**Aboard HMAS Attack**

**Gulf of Carpentaria**

"Sir!" called out the Sonar Room, "Direct hit on the second Indonesian submarine!"

"That is good news indeed!" commented Captain Wedgefield. In their march toward the Gulf, the HMAS _Attack_ and her two sister submarines came across several Indonesian and Chinese submarines.

"That makes three kills in this operation. Let's keep it up!"

"Wait!" the Radio Room called in, "_Arrow's_ under attack! She's deploying noise jammers now!"

"It's the other Nagapasa, sir!" the Sonar Room reported. The Nagapasa-class was once the main bulk of the Indonesian Navy subs, but only once. The war had seen them all destroyed by the superior Australian subs.

"Let's get 'em out of there!" The Captain demanded, "All ahead full!"

"All ahead full!" echoed the command.

"Target acquired," called the Sonar Room.

"Fire!" ordered the captain.

"Torpedo away!"

The Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo launched from the Attack's torpedo tube and cascaded across the water with furious speed. The Mk. 48 was a Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) torpedo, optimized for both the deep and littoral waters and had advanced counter-countermeasure capabilities. It was the result of a Joint Development Program with the Royal Australian Navy and reached Initial Operational Capability in 2006. The modular Mod 7 variant increased sonar bandwidth, enabling it to transmit and receive pings over a wider frequency band, taking advantage of broadband signal processing techniques to greatly improve search, acquisition, and attack effectiveness. This version was much more resistant to enemy countermeasures and continued upgrades made it a much more lethal weapon.

The KRI _Nagapasa_ deployed a noise jammer and tried to evade, but the Australian torpedo would not be swayed. It swam past the countermeasure and tore straight into the submarine's hull. The Indonesian submarine fleet was all but erased now.

"Hit on _Nagapasa_!" The Sonar Room reported, "All hostile contacts eliminated."

"We got a green lane for attack then," the Captain said, "All submarines are to move to firing positions and prepare for attack."

Over the next few minutes, the three submarines moved to their attack positions and began firing their cruise missiles at enemy facilities all across the Top End in support of the Papua New Guinea-led assault. As the missiles arced across the sky from the sea, the strongholds and logistics centre in the town of Weipa were the primary target. Secondaries included camps in Kowanyama, Cape York and Karumba. Weipa was home to RAAF Scherger, a bare base with empty facilities. The Allied Forces would have to act fast before the enemy fully settled there.

The Allied victory in Queensland had stemmed from several factors. Axis preparations in defence were only partially finished; shortly before D-Day, Indonesian General Long reported that construction was only 20 per cent complete in some areas as resources were diverted elsewhere. The Allies achieved and maintained air supremacy, which meant that the Axis forces were unable to make observations of the preparations underway and were unable to interfere via bomber attacks. Infrastructure for transport in occupied towns was severely disrupted by Allied bombers and the Australian Resistance, making it difficult for the Axis to bring up reinforcements and supplies. Some of the opening bombardment was off-target or not concentrated enough to have any impact, but the specialised armour worked well except on Burdekin, providing close artillery support for the troops as they disembarked onto the beaches. Indecisiveness and an overly complicated command structure on the part of the Axis high command were also factors in the Allied success…

**Operation Thunderbolt**

**Ayr, Queensland**

**The next day**

As Sargeant Jacob Roderick sat and ate his MRE, he looked around at the main battle tanks readying up to storm the city of Townsville. With Ayr fully captured from the Axis, ammo depots, army barracks and landing zones were rapidly set up and loaded with supplies. During his off time, he had taken a moment to visit the libraries and historic centres. The old, classic objects he discovered there reminded him what he was fighting for.

"So, Jacob," he heard Captain Hammer say, "How are you this morning?"

Roderick sighed, "Still not feeling pleased about our Abrams tank still being stuck in the landing zone beach. Nevertheless, I'm still glad we offered fire support."

"It does suck," agreed Hammer, "But now, we got the opportunity to hit back."

"I was damn lucky back there. Hitting all those targets."

"You weren't lucky, mate. You were trained to hit all of them. Besides, with this tank, you'll hit a lot more!"

Now, the crew was assigned to a tank that was not like any other – the M36 Pershing. The most recent American-built tank, this big beast meant business. This was the newest tank in the Army, replacing the venerable M1A5 Abrams tanks that had been in service for nearly sixty years. The Australian Pershing was not built with the new secret type of alloy. Nevertheless, it was still three times stronger than the Abrams. The tank was also the first in the world to field a magnetic railgun, giving it an incredible range and punch.

The railgun and fire control system could also switch from ground attack mode to air attack, making the vehicle extremely versatile. When in ground-attack mode, the Pershing could hit targets as far away as fifteen miles and could fire one round every twenty seconds for a sustained ten minutes before it had to drop its rate of fire to one round per minute to recharge its battery bank.

Once the time to move out arrived, Roderick sat in his gunner seat. He trained for this tank, but it was still a shock for him. It was like he was trading a Holden ute for a flashy, 2040 Lamborghini. He could feel a new surge of enthusiasm as he went through his controls.

"How's it looking, Rod?" Hammer asked.

"Oh, I'm ready to strike!" Roderick said with a smile.

With that, Hammer called to the driver, "Take it away, Mick!"

With an eerie, futuristic whine followed by a traditional vroom of the engine, the Pershing moved from the shelter and joined the others of Alpha Company. The tanks began advancing northeast toward Mount Elliot and rolled past the frontline trenches. The land was flat with dirt, making it suitable for an armoured battle. Then…

"Tanks!" called out the Company leader, "Leopard 3s, 11 o'clock, 10 K's. Engage!"

"Roderick, take aim and fire on the closest!" called out Hammer.

Roderick found his first victim, a Leopard 3 closest to his own tank. He turned the reticule toward it.

"On!" said Roderick, indicating he was on target, "Firing!"

He depressed the fire button, the steel projectile instantly released and arced across the land with a tremendous thundercrack. The enemy tank had little time to react as its front was torn through like a hot knife through butter.

Roderick could feel it… The enemy now knew what they were up against…

**Townsville, Queensland**

**That same time**

On the other side of the city, in the Bohle wetlands, Emily's resistance group continued to sneak through the shadows on their way to the city.

"We're right on time," the Stranger said, checking his watch, "The ANZACs are starting their advance."

At the nearby neighbourhoods, Emily could see small quadcopter drones patrolling the otherwise desolate streets. The sound of distant thunder was echoing from the other side of the city. Knowing the invaders will be occupied by the fighting there, the Resistance had to seize the initiative and strike…

ANZAC forces were initially able to slow the PLA advances during a series of brutal skirmishes just outside of Townsville. The ANZAC forces lost more than 200 men, but they successfully held off Chinese soldiers.

Within a few days of launching its attack, the PLA Air Force had rendered the Burdekin River impassable and had sunk several Australian commercial vessels out at sea, followed by dozens of air strikes on the city.

The number of civilian casualties was unknown. However, it was believed that tens of thousands were killed.

The PLAAF was challenging control of the skies over Townsville, and the ANZACs were getting desperate. Workers in the city not involved in war-related weapons production were soon asked to take up fighting, often without firearms of their own.

And yet, the Australians continued to suffer heavy losses. By the following day, Townsville was in ruins.

Despite heavy casualties and the pounding delivered by the Axis air forces, General Halifax instructed his forces in the city to not retreat, famously decreeing "Not a step back!"

With fewer than 20,000 troops in the city and less than 100 tanks, the ANZAC generals finally began sending reinforcements into the city and surrounding areas. Fighting raged in the streets of Townsville, with both sides using snipers poised on the roofs of the city's buildings.

Emily's resistance group was moving quickly, never sitting in one area for more than a few minutes. Bitter fighting was raging for every ruin, street, factory, house, basement, and staircase. Even the storm drains were the sites of firefights. But as they reached the Townsville State High School, they had to rest once more…

"This is a damn rat war!" shouted Jason, straddling his RPG, "We're capturing the kitchen but are still fighting for the living room and the bedroom at this point."

The Stranger sighed, "Buildings have to be cleared room by room… Residential areas, office blocks, basements, apartment high-rises. You name it!"

Nearby were the CBD buildings, blasted into roofless shells by earlier Chinese aerial bombardment. They were the sight of floor-by-floor, close-quarters combat, with the Australians and Indonesians on alternate levels, firing at each other through holes in the floors.

Emily looked around at the school grounds, where she and her friends once played. Now, though, parts of it were torn apart. It was a mere shadow of what it once was… She had been told that various other students and even teachers were forming resistance groups of their own.

"Musuh terlihat!" a voice from across the house shouted. The loud sound of automatic fire tore through the house. Kevin retaliated with a fierce fire from his SMG, gunning down the lone enemy soldier. The team had to run quickly, but Emily could see Corrie's abdomen was bleeding badly. Her heart sank.

"No… Corrie!" she cried.

"Please…" Corrie sobbed through the pain, "Run!"

"No!" Kevin shouted defiantly, "Not without you!" He then picked Corrie up, ready to carry her to safety.

"Kids!" shouted a male voice. Emily recognised it.

"Mr. Duroux!?" she shouted back.

The man rounded the corner, armed with a .303 rifle, "You guys made it! I knew you'd fight back."

Suddenly, with a tremendous crash, a Chinese Type-39 IFV ploughed through the nearby houses and lanced onto the school oval. The group attempted to scatter, but it was too late. A high-explosive round struck the nearby block, blasting entire sections of wall to pieces and knocking everyone to the floor. A hail of machine gun fire soon followed.

"What do we do now!?" Emily shouted.

"Where's my RPG!?" responded Jason, "It's our best shot!"

Emily immediately did a quick head count… Kevin was also accounted for, with Corrie in his arms, Tom and Mr. Duroux were covering a starwell.

"Wait…" she said, "Where's Robyn!?"

Emily looked around, but she wished she didn't. She saw Robyn running with Jason's RPG down the hallway shouting "the Lord be with me" over and over.

"Robyn!" she screamed, "Come back here!"

"Run!" she heard Robyn scream back. She turned right and scurried up the nearest stairwell on H-Block. As soon as she made it to the next level, she took aim and pulled the trigger of the RPG. The rocket projectile launched from the tube directly at the tank and exploded.

It did nothing. The explosion simply bounced off the tanks armour. Emily saw the turret turn directly at where Robyn was standing… And then she simply disappeared. She vanished in a storm of debris and a shockwave that knocked Emily back onto the floor. In her state of shock, she was helpless as the tank turned its terrifying weapon to stare directly at her…

However, the tank then exploded as a bright bolt shot straight through its side. The turret flew off like a bottle top and hull burst into flame. Emily looked to her side to see a new type of tank in Australian camo emerge from the other street. They had been saved… Those who had survived…

Meanwhile, Australian General Greg Halifax and New Zealand General Finley organized troops in the mountains to the north and west of the city. From there, they launched a counterattack.

Although they again sustained significant losses, Australian forces were able to form what in essence was a defensive ring around the city, trapping the nearly 3,000 Chinese and Axis troops.

With the Australian submarine blockade limiting access to supplies, Red forces trapped in Townsville slowly starved. The ANZACs began consolidating their positions around Townsville, choking off the Chinese forces from vital supplies and essentially surrounding them in an ever-tightening noose.

Thanks to Australian gains in nearby fighting, including in the CBD, the Axis forces – mostly Chinese and Indonesians – were stretched thin. Through Operation Cowboy, the Australians began to break the lines of mostly Indonesian forces to the west of the city.

By the next week, Australian troops had retaken Townsville and captured nearly 100,000 enemy soldiers, though pockets of resistance continued to fight in the city until early the next month. Most of the captured soldiers died in Australian prison camps, either as a result of disease or starvation.

The loss at Townsville put the Axis powers in Australia on the defensive and boosted Australian confidence as it continued to do battle on the Southern Front in World War III.

**Chapter 4: The Other Side of Dawn**

**Aboard HMAS Attack**

**Arafura Sea**

The HMAS _Attack_ was joined in attack formation by HMAS _Arrow_ and HMAS _Archer_. With the main bulk of the Indonesian submarine fleet all but lost and no Chinese anti-submarine warfare planes present, the Australian subs were once again safe in their territorial waters.

"Did you enjoy the breathing space?" the Captain asked his crew.

"Yes, sir…" sighed the Chief Officer, "With the Top End saved, we don't have to worry about an ASW plane dropping a charge on our heads."

The Captain laughed slightly, "Indeed. Those missiles of ours definitely showed them. The PNG force captured Weipa once we blew it up. But Aurukun was not captured, because not even the enemy wanted to enter that crime-infested hole."

Captain Wedgefield leant back in his chair, feeling the weight and magnitude of all that had happened…

"Crew… I hope you understand what we've achieved. Our submarine has been not only one of our most powerful weapons, but also become a symbol of pride for Australia. We managed to derail China's hopes for fully invading our country. Now they can only hope of taking on America, and even that's not guaranteed to work in the end. Now, we'll join our submarine brethren securing the Timor Sea. The forces liberating Darwin and Port Hedland will not be greeted by reinforcements. It's been an honour to be your Captain… Let's go!"

"Yes, sir!" the entire crew shouted with renewed enthusiasm.

The Attack-class submarines began driving at full speed through the seas, now the pride of a nation. Their crew's destinies continued to await as they moved toward the ultimate goal of Darwin. The Pan-Asian Alliance's hopes for neo-colonialism in Oceania were derailed by the large, metal leviathans…

**Torrens Creek, Queensland**

The town of Torrens Creek continued to sit on the Flinders Highway, 293 kilometres west of Townsville. The creek of the same name arose in the Great Dividing Range, flowing southward to the Thomson River system to eventually run into Lake Eyre.

The Great Northern Railway reached Torrens Creek in 1885, at which time it became the supply centre for a large district. Mailmen rode out far and wide to various stations, delivering mail along routes which are still used today. There is was cairn and plaque erected by Torrens Creek residents to honour the district's most famous mailman, Jack Blunt, who served from 1931 to 1954.

In the past World War, a large ammunition dump, associated with the Battle of the Coral Sea, exploded when a fire lit by American and Australian soldiers to create a firebreak got out of control. A series of 12 explosions nearly destroyed the town.

But that was all in the last century…

Sitting in the pub, Emily and her surviving friends saw another military convoy move through the military checkpoint on its journey down the Flinders Highway. She saw the dirt airstrip to the south, almost completely unused until now, was now refuelling platform for the Army helicopters. The Stranger was conversing with Master Sergeant Jarrod A. Forsayth before coming over.

"Congrats, guys," Forsayth said, "You are now officially part of the Militia."

"Those bloody Axis forces retreated Out West," said the Stranger, "Some are in full withdrawal to the Gulf. Others refuse to admit defeat."

"What are we waiting for?" said Kevin impatiently, "Let's get them!"

"Hold it, mate," Forsayth said, "You guys are most wanted now. Word's been going around that Indonesia decided to sic the Kopassus on you."

Emily gasped.

"Who's… Kopassus?" She asked.

Forsayth explained. The Kopassus, (Komando Pasukan Khusus, or "Special Forces Command") were Indonesia's Special Forces. They were notorious for their violations of human rights in East Timor, Aceh, Riau and Papua and the capital Jakarta. Some historical examples included killing five Australian journalists, massacring Chinese Indonesians, wiping out entire villages, and even breaking into a jail to kill some prisoners before their trial.

"These guys are outright monsters," sighed the Stranger, "Not meant to fight, but instead burn, kill, and ra—"

"Okay, we get it," barked Jason, "We'll continue the war out of Paluma."

Then, a convoy of Land Rover Perenties drove past.

"Land Rovers?" Jason said surprised, "What scrapyard did they come out of?"

"You should see some of the museum pieces they've been whipping out!" the Stranger laughed, "Our higher-ups have called upon every resource!"

Forsayth recalled his known examples…

"When the armoured boys assaulted Charters Towers, they found the local Resistance fighters have already rolled up the defending Bruneian infantry using a fully restored and armed Gulf War-era Leopard 1 tank. The Pershing gunner who first saw them wondered where they found ammo for the Leopard's main gun—they did have some, and even had some left afterwards. It is recorded in the history books as one of the last combat engagements of a Leopard 1 tank."

The Australian Armour and Artillery donated their entire collection of restored armoured vehicles to the Army. The sight of a crew of riding an ex-Soviet T-72 with a Eureka Stockade Flag whipping from the aerial leading a column of WW2, Cold War, and Gulf War tanks turned quite a few heads. After the war, their collection might be short a couple of destroyed vehicles, but the Army will compensate him with a fleet of captured Chinese armour."

"And…" The Stranger said with a huge smile, "In the Western Australian front, a new RAAF squadron, No. 444, was flying Chinese-built aircraft helpfully supplied by Thai and Indonesian insiders and the Israeli Mossad— Don't ask how they got their hands on them, especially the brand-new transport helicopter with some highly-effective nonstandard ECM gear—for a variety of special missions".

The Stranger and Forsayth laughed heartedly. Emily could see they were full of renewed, nostalgic joy when referring to their weapons of old.

"And lastly," the Stranger added, "the Gulflander train, that dear old train that runs from Normanton and Croydon, is now a full-on gun train. Unbelievable!"

"Where will you be going?" asked Emily to the Stranger.

"I'll be heading to the town of Prairie," he said, "where my mates took refuge. Everybody in that town's taken up arms to defend their home, not surprisingly. We'll move on from there."

"The US Marines and our guys are currently rolling the Axis out of Darwin," said Forsayth, "Once they're done, we'll move to defend the northern coastline. I'll be heading to the Gulf, for a start. Then, we'll move to rebuilding operations."

"Sounds like a plan," Emily said, "We do need a helping hand in recovery."

"Don't forget…" the Stranger added solemnly, "This war's not done. America's still under fire and Europe's still besieged, but thanks to us, there will be at least one region of Allies who stood victorious! Now… I'm going to go meet up with my mates. I'll join more of the action. My journey's not done, neither is yours. Take care, Emily!"

With the shaking of hands, the Stranger hopped back onto his motorcycle and raced down the highway. Emily and her company returned to Townsville, ready for whatever would come next…

**Parliament House, Canberra**

"Is this really a good idea?" Prime Minister Lancaster asked the media crew before him.

"Come on, John…" Deputy Prime Minister Gary Stone said, "This statement needs to be said, for us and them…"

The Prime Minister sighed, "Okay…"

The red light of the camera turned on, followed by a thumbs up from the cameraman. The Prime Minister began his speech…

_This is Prime Minister John Lancaster of the Commonwealth of Australia._

_We have successfully repelled the Axis invasion force from our home soil, but it is only a matter of time before they return…_

_The United States is now under attack. As the Russians are launching their invasion of Europe, the Chinese are bringing the war to the shores of America. With the US military heavily engaged in Europe and clean-up operations in the Middle East, American forces are stretched thin. We fear Alaska may fall…_

_We do not know if Japan, our lone Asian ally, will stand with us or America in our time of need. We hope American ingenuity will be enough to change the tide of World War III…_

_Meanwhile, in Australia, we are fighting back with everything we have. We were given no other option but to bring our forces from Europe and the Middle East to our last line of defence. Together, we will stand tall and face it together._

_Let it be said that in spite of the hardships and difficult decisions, at least one Allied force stood victorious in defying the Axis._

_We now offer the city of Sydney as a neutral ground for peace talks. We strongly encourage the Presidents of America and China to come together for negotiation, for should this war continue, it will no doubt condemn the world to ruin._

_At the same time, however, we will ensure the Axis remembers one solemn message from the people of Oceania. One that echoes from the past World War..._

_We shall never surrender!_

_To all the Allies are still fighting this war, good luck and Godspeed._

As the camera turned off, John Lancaster let out a deep sigh. It seemed there was only one way this dreadful war was going to end...

It would end through cyber-warfare... and a new world order.


End file.
